Turner

World of Art

by Graham Reynolds

Few British artists have ever achieved such a wide range of style in oil painting, watercolour, drawing and engraving as J. M. W. Turner. He had a precocious gift that was developed over a lifetime of experiment and innovation. This classic book in the World of Art series traces the artists career from youthful pictureseque views and watercolours of Gothic ruins to the romantic landscape and historical compositions of his maturity, and the astonishing art of his later years. In these late paintings Turners tragic sense of life is stated most profoundly and the work was unintelligible to his contemporaries but his reputation as the greatest British painter now rests on our understanding of these as pioneering explorations of abstraction, prefiguring the art of the 20th century. Graham Reynolds weaves together the artists biography with sensitive criticism of his work, through all phases of his career, in this classic work first published in 1969 that has long served as an outstanding introduction to Turners life and art. It has now been revised and updated by the curator of the Turner Bequest at Tate, David Blayney Brown, to reflect recent discoveries and interpretations, and the illustrations are in full colour for the first time. It will serve as the best available study of this perennially popular artist for a new generation of readers.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, Art History

307 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1969

About the author

Arthur Graham Reynolds CVO OBE FBA (10 January 1914 – 13 October 2013) was an English art historian who was Keeper of Paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was a leading expert on portrait miniatures and the art of John Constable, for whose works he wrote the catalogue raisonné.

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Predominantly B&W illustrations are a bit of an irony when writing about the artist who to came to epitomise the expression of light and colour and led the way for French Impressionism but at least the text on Turner's life and work is intelligible and not characterised by Freudian gibberish like the previous book on Turner I read.

[DJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clear and Concise volume on the evolution and background of Turner.
A good and inclusive book that would not deter beginners with complicated " terminologies ". Highly recommend as a first glimpse into JMW Turners work and life.
Recommendations for slightly more detailed materials would be appreciated.

[Levon]

Turner… my beloved… <333

[lookingformanon · Rating 5 out of 5]

my guy Turner

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Difficult to review the first art history book that I’ve read because it was about my favorite author. Nonetheless, it was an easy read as it integrated criticism and biography. I enjoyed reading about how Turner’s life experiences influenced his paintings, and despite its breadth, I could still learn something about many of the paintings. I wish the book also discussed broader political, economic, and cultural influences (eg, the MFA Boston’s recent exhibit) and how Turner’s genius carried over to subsequent generations.

[Ralph Burton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beginning to think the character of Will Turner in Pirates of the Caribbean was named after this guy.